LONDON’S GLOBAL UNIVERSITY
EDUCATION COMMITTEE
25 June 2013
MINUTES
Present:
Professor Mike Ewing (Chair)
Mr David Ashton
Ms Karen Barnard
Mr Jason Clarke
Dr Brenda Cross
Dr Caroline Essex
Mr Marco Federighi
Dr Arne Hofmann
Dr Christine Hoffman
Ms Valerie Hogg
Ms Bella Malins
Ms Giulia Mari
Dr Helen Matthews
Dr John Mitchell
Ms Kathleen Nicholls
Ms Lesley Pitman (vice: Ms June Hedges)
Dr Hilary Richards
Mr Steve Rowett (vice: Dr Fiona Strawbridge)
Dr Ruth Siddall
Ms Olga Thomas
Professor Derek Tocher
Ms Susan Ware
Dr Paul Walker (vice: Mr Ken Marsden)
Dr Andrew Wills
In attendance: Ms Sandra Hinton (Secretary); Ms Irenie Morley; Mr Gary Smith (for Minute
50); Ms Paula Speller.
Apologies for absence were received from: Prof David Bogle; Mr Edwin Clifford-Coupe; Dr
Julie Evans; Ms June Hedges; Mr Ken Marsden; Mr Dante Micheaux; Mr Gergely Raccuja;;
Dr Fiona Strawbridge.
Key to abbreviations
AC
Academic Committee
CALT
Centre for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching
ISD
Information Systems Division
EdCom
Education Committee
FTC
Faculty Teaching Committee
GPA
Grade Point Average
HEA
Higher Education Academy
HEI
Higher Education Institution
HESA
Higher Education Statistics Agency
KIS
Key Information Set
KISSG
Key Information Set Steering Group
LSE
London School of Economics
LTISG
Learning and Teaching Information Systems Group
MAPS
Mathematical and Physical Sciences (Faculty)
PMASG
Programme and Module Approval Steering Group
QMEC
Quality Management and Enhancement Committee
SMT
Senior Management Team
SoP
School of Pharmacy
UCLBE
UCL Board of Examiners
Education Committee – 25 June 2013 - Minutes
57
MEMBERSHIP
Noted:
57.1
The following members of EdCom would be standing down at the end of the current
academic session:
•
•
•
•
58
Mr Ken Marsden as the nominated representative of CALT;
Mr Edwin Clifford-Coupe as UCL Union Education and Campaigns
Officer;
Mr Dante Micheaux as UCL Union Medical and Postgraduate Students’
Officer;
Mr Mehran Bhatti as UCL Union International Officer.
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF 30 APRIL 2013
Confirmed:
58.1
The Minutes of the meeting of EdCom held on 30 April 2013 [EdCom Mins. 48 - 56,
30.04.13], circulated previously.
59
MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES [see also Minutes 60, 61 & 63-65 below]
59A
Academic Regulations 2013-14 [EdCom Min. 51A, 12-13]
Noted:
59A.1 The Academic Regulations for 2013-14 had been updated and circulated to Faculty
Tutors for comment.
59B
Student Learning Contracts and Barring [EdCom Min. 51B, 12-13]
Noted:
59B.1 The revised policy had now been published in the UCL Academic Manual at
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/academic-manual/part-3.
59C
New Fee Liability Policy for Interruptions and Withdrawals [EdCom Min.34, 12-13]
Noted:
59C.1 At EDCOM 5/41 (12-13) – a revised policy for proposed implementation in 2013-14,
from the Director of Financial Planning and Strategy.
60
FIT TO STUDY [EdCom Min.51B, 12-13]
Received:
60.1
At EDCOM 5/42 (12-13) – a discussion paper, introduced by the Chair.
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Education Committee – 25 June 2013 - Minutes
Reported:
60.2
EdCom was asked to consider whether UCL should put in place a Fitness to Study
Policy for all UCL students. The paper sought permission to draw up a draft policy for
further consideration at EdCom in the coming session 2013-14.
Discussion:
60.3
Members queried the appropriate process for referring students during the transitional
phase between the disestablishing of the role of Dean of Students’ (Welfare) and
confirmation of new arrangements. It was established that during this time, referrals
should be made to the Director of Student Support and Welfare, Ms Denise Long.
60.4
The Chair resolved to check with the Registrar whether a note would shortly be
forthcoming with details of the role which would replace that of the Dean of Students’
(Welfare) from 1 October 2013.
60.5
Members noted that any preliminary proposals for a Fit to Study policy should include
explicit reference to disciplinary sanctions if a student’s state of health should create
behaviour which impacted on the learning of other students, particularly in group work
situations.
RESOLVED:
60.6
That the Chair contact the Registrar as per Min. 60.4 above. [Action: Professor
Mike Ewing]
60.7
That a draft Fit to Study policy should explicitly mention the impact of a student’s ill
health on others, as per Min. 60.5 above. [Action: Mr David Ashton]
61
SCHEDULED LEARNING HOURS – ISSUES ARISING FROM UCL
PREPARATIONS FOR THE KEY INFORMATION SET [EdCom Min.25, 12-13]
Received:
61.1
At EDCOM 5/43 (12-13) – a paper, introduced by the Chair of the KISSG.
Reported:
61.2
The Chair of the KISSG summed up the results of research into the issues as follows:
•
•
•
The definitions set by HESA (at Para. 8 of the paper) seemed to map on to
1200 hours.
The majority of other Russell Group universities (23 out of 28) defined their
scheduled learning hours per year as 1200 two institutions (Imperial and
Southampton) used 1500 hours; one (LSE) used 1480 hours; while for two
institutions (Oxford and Cambridge) it had not been possible to obtain any
relevant information.
If the requirements of Bologna, and the need to ensure comparability of UK
awards with those of European HEIs remained a pressing issue, it was clearly
not one which troubled the majority of Russell Group universities and it had, in
any case, been largely overtaken by the requirements of the KIS.
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Education Committee – 25 June 2013 - Minutes
•
In light of the above, EdCom was invited to recommend that UCL should
define ‘scheduled learning and teaching activity’ for the purposes of the KIS as
being 1200 hours per year.
Discussion:
61.3
EdCom agreed that no major policy change was actually being proposed in terms of
the UCL learning year. The issue was purely one of agreeing how UCL should
present this to an external audience in terms of the KIS.
RESOLVED:
61.4
That UCL should define ‘scheduled learning and teaching activity’ for the purposes of
the KIS as being 1200 hours per year. [Action: Mr Jason Clarke/Mr Gary Smith]
62
DRAFT REPORT ON THE GRADE POINT AVERAGE
Received:
62.1
At EDCOM 5/44 (12-13) – the draft report on the GPA introduced by the Chair of
EdCom, who is also the Chair of the Working Group on the GPA.
Reported:
62.2
In order to promulgate the report further and invite a wider range of opinion, EdCom
was being invited to discuss the report prior to its submission to AC. The Chair of the
Working Group reported the following:
•
•
•
•
•
There were now real difficulties with the way in which Honours were
calculated. As far back as 2006, the Burgess Report had noted that the UK
Honours scheme was ‘no longer fit for purpose’. Employers would typically use
a 2:1 as a qualifying grade for interview, but between 60-69 was a very wide
band which might alike contain an excellent or a mediocre performance. As a
consequence of this lack of granularity, employers were increasingly referring
back to a candidate’s A level performance.
Examination Boards, mindful of the potentially deleterious effect on a student’s
future career of a borderline 2:2, spent much of their allotted time discussing
borderline cases, rather than more useful generic academic issues.
A GPA system, would, by rewarding consistent student performance across a
whole programme, alleviate issues arising from what was called the ‘Honours
cliff’ and would be of benefit to students and employers.
The GPA Working Group had created a ‘straw man’ GPA model for the
purpose of comparison between the GPA and Honours systems. Modelling
had shown that it was more difficult to map GPA to quantitative subjects such
as mathematics or engineering.
The Working Group’s recommendation (to be made to AC on 4 July) was that
UCL should join a HEA national pilot group on GPA, the membership of which
would include Russell Group universities and a range of other UK HEIs.
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Education Committee – 25 June 2013 - Minutes
Discussion:
62.3
EdCom agreed that UCL should join the HEA national pilot group, but felt that AC
should be invited to approve the details of this group before UCL should agree to
participate.
RESOLVED:
62.4
That any further comments from EdCom members should be sent to the Chair prior to
AC’s meeting on 4 July. [Action: EdCom to note]
63
FEEDBACK ON SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT [EdCom Min.35, 12-13]
Noted:
63.1
Students had requested feedback on summative assessments/examinations. This
was not currently UCL policy. On 12 March [EdCom Min.35], EdCom had a wideranging discussion with differing views expressed by each Faculty. Faculty Tutors
were invited to discuss the issues further with their FTCs; in particular:
(1) the viability of providing specific examination feedback for failing or
underperforming students;
(2) the viability of providing more generic feedback (although it was noted that this
should already be available via Annual Monitoring reports).
63.2
Faculty Tutors were invited to report on the above discussions with their FTCs and
the results, some of which were received after the meeting, had now been compiled
into a paper at EDCOM 5/44 (12-13). This would be made available on the EdCom
sharepoint.
RESOLVED:
63.3
That the nature of the feedback provided should suit the particular discipline and that
UCL should not impose a universal approach.
64
ISSUES WITH UCL’S ESTATE [EdCom Min.39, 12-13]
Noted:
64.1
At EdCom’s meeting of 12 March, the Committee had noted that the interaction
between students and academic staff and UCL Estates could be improved. It was
suggested that EdCom invite the Director of UCL Estates to attend EdCom’s meeting
of 30 April in order to respond to any issues raised. However, as many of the issues
had already been raised via the 2012-13 Annual Monitoring process, which fell within
the remit of QMEC, the Chair instead invited the Director of UCL Estates to attend the
meeting of QMEC on 18 June 2013.
64.2
All issues received from Faculties by the EdCom Secretary, in addition to those raised
via Annual Monitoring, were compiled and sent to the Director of Estates in advance
of the QMEC meeting, at which he was invited to respond.
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Education Committee – 25 June 2013 - Minutes
Reported:
64.3
The Chair reported that at the QMEC meeting the Director of Estates had spoken of
continued attempts to implement the Bloomsbury Masterplan, with many initiatives
now beginning to bear fruit. Planned transformations of Wates House would, it had
been reported, solve nearly all the Faculty of The Built Environment’s space issues.
The Student Centre was another major piece of work in the pipeline along with the
early stages of planning for work across the Wilkins complex, with more space for
formal and informal learning. A ‘quick wins’ programme had yielded good results in
2011-12 and the process would be repeated in summer 2013, along with a full
upgrade of many teaching spaces.
64.4
The Director of Estates had reported further that the Vice-Provost (Operations) had
commissioned an external report on space usage at UCL which had, in turn, led to
the establishment of a Timetabling Review Group, chaired by the Vice-Provost
(Education). The Group had submitted a report to the Provost’s SMT on 19 June and
its findings would be promulgated more widely.
Discussion:
64.5
The Faculty Tutor of the Faculty of the Built Environment reported that plans to
alleviate the Faculty’s space issues, far from being solving them, had, in fact, created
a great deal of distress and uncertainty. This was currently being discussed and
resolved in number of other more appropriate fora.
64.6
Members were keen to see the report of the Timetabling Review Group (see 64.4)
and it was resolved that the Chair should ascertain, on behalf of the Committee, any
outcomes of SMT’s discussion of the report on 19 June and any proposals for the
promulgation of its findings to the wider UCL community.
RESOLVED:
64.7
That the Chair should report back to EdCom in the autumn on the outcomes of the
Timetabling Review Group’s report to SMT. [Action: Professor Mike Ewing]
65
SCHOOL OF PHARMACY – EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF MERGER [EdCom
Min. 52, 12-13]
Reported:
65.1
The Faculty Tutor of the Faculty of Life Sciences reported that the new MPharm was
out of step with UCL norms in a number of areas. It had been agreed that the SoP
would operate within UCL term times but progression and classification rules
remained different. All derogations from the UCL norm would come to EdCom with
appropriate justifications. Finally, it had been agreed that the SoP would make its
offers of admission earlier.
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Education Committee – 25 June 2013 - Minutes
66
APPROVAL OF NEW PROGRAMMES OF STUDY
Noted:
66.1
The PMASG Chair, acting on behalf of EdCom and on the recommendation of
PMASG, had approved the following programmes of study since the meeting of
EdCom on 30 April 2013:
MRes Physics of Cancer Therapy
Postgraduate Clinical Professional Development Short Course Programme
MSc in Specialised Translation
MSc in Scientific, Technical and Medical Translation with Translation Technology
MSc Smart Cities and Urban Analytics
MRes Smart Cities
MSc International Relations of the Americas
67
MINUTES FROM STEERING GROUPS ETC.
67A
Programme and Module Approval Steering Group
Noted:
67A.1 At EDCOM 5/45 (12-13) – the minutes of the meeting of 15 May 2013.
67B
Regulation Review Group
Noted:
67B.1 At EDCOM 5/46 (12-13) – the minutes of the meeting of 18 April 2013.
68
CHAIR’S BUSINESS
68A
Examinations Cycle 2012/13
Reported:
68A.1 The Head of Examinations, Student and Registry Services, reported that data issues
had delayed the publication of a final examinations timetable. Some departments
were not, during the annual Academic Review process, checking with sufficient care
all aspects of the modules for which they were responsible, nor adjusting the
assessment weightings as necessary. This had in turn led to last-minute adjustments
and queries which had delayed publication.
68A.2 Some examination paper substitutions had been received very late, necessitating, in
some cases, the publication of last-minute errata slips, which were disruptive to
students sitting the examination and placed pressure on the Examinations
department where late adjustments needed to be communicated across multiple,
disparate sites. It was hoped that these issues, which arose year after year, could be
addressed at an earlier stage next session.
68A.3 Some disruption had been experienced as a result of building works, particularly near
the special facility for dyslexic students and two examinations had been evacuated for
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Education Committee – 25 June 2013 - Minutes
half an hour each, due to a fire alarm. The arrangement of a separate room for the
collection of scripts had, however, worked well and would be continued.
68B
Faculty issues with Portico functionality 2012-13
Noted:
68B.1 At EDCOM 5/47 (12-13) – the issues, as reported by faculties, arising from a
discussion at the UCLBE on 6 March 2013.
Discussion:
68B.2 Representatives from each faculty had now met separately with Portico Services and
had fed in their observations. Domain governance groups would decide how money
was to be spent but ISD also received a lump sum which it divided up as it thought
appropriate.
68B.3 The most recent meeting of the LTISG, Chaired by the Vice-Provost (Education), had
recommended moving to a three year budgeting period.
68B.4 It was noted that EdCom should be more mindful, when approving proposals with
implications for Portico functionality, of the time needed to secure funding and begin
work. For example, the proposals for a GPA would require a great deal of system
change and a lead-in time of at least 12-18 months would need to be factored in.
Often proposals were approved and only once this had happened, were the Portico
implications considered.
68B.5 EdCom requested a review of staff with access to SITS; and suggested giving
departments ‘read-only’ access. Only faculty-level staff had originally been given this
access in 2004. However, there was a considerable training requirement and
currently no resource to train extra staff to use SITS. It was resolved that the Chair
would take the matter up with the Registrar.
RESOLVED:
68B.6 That the Chair discuss with the Registrar, Mr Tim Perry, the possibility of access to
SITS for departmental staff. [Action: Professor Mike Ewing]
69
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Noted:
69.1
There would be no further meetings of EdCom in 2012-13.
SANDRA HINTON
Quality Assurance Manager, Academic Services, Student and Registry Services
[telephone: 020 7679 8590; internal extension 28590; fax 020 7679 8595; e-mail s.hinton@ucl.ac.uk
October 2013
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